French President Emmanuel Macron denied that the CIA had warned France of a possible Russian drone operation targeting Spain, France and Italy, as El Mundo reported, and pledged forces to protect Saudi Arabia’s Yanbu oil site, saying France would not join any conflict.
Macron said the assets would include troops, radar and defensive systems, with the aim of stabilizing oil markets. The Yanbu site is part of Saudi Arabia’s East-West pipeline, which bypasses the Strait of Hormuz and can transport 5 million barrels of crude oil a day, with capacity to temporarily rise to 7 million. Its port has significant oil-storage and refining facilities and has become a target for Iran-backed Houthi forces in Yemen. Jean-Luc Mélenchon called for a parliamentary vote, arguing that sending troops would put France in a war zone.
Italy’s defense minister, Guido Crosetto, also said the report of possible attacks on Italy, Spain and France was unconfirmed. Macron said a Russian attack on Europe was plausible and cited a drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport on 4–5 August 2026, which German authorities attributed to Russia; he said France had not experienced a comparable attack so far. He described a possible new Russian mobilization of around 300,000 personnel as a credible scenario.
